Swiveled electrical connector



Aug. 15, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l LAUBI SWIVELED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Oct. 8, 1964 Fig.

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Aug. 15, 1967 A. LAUBI 3,336,559

SWI VELED ELECTRI CAL CONNECTOR Filed Oct. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g /0 v 76 36 3a /00 {I Arfhur L aubi INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,336,559 SWIVELED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Arthur Laubi, 243 Ashley Blvd, New Bedford, Mass. 82746; ilennie M. Laubi, administratrix of said Arthur Laubi, deceased Filed Oct. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 402,592 3 Claims. (Cl. 339-8) This invention generally relates to new and useful improvements in connectors particularly although by no means necessarily, for electric iron cords, etc., and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a connector of this character comprising unique means for preventing such cords from twisting and entangling. g

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a swiveled connector of the aforementioned character which may be connected to the conductor cord at one end thereof or interposed therein at an intermediate point.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved swiveled electrical connector of the character described comprising a novel construction and arrangement of contacts for ensuring a good elec-.

trical connection at all times.

Another object is to provide a swiveled electrical connector of the aforementioned character which may be eX- peditiously assembled with a minimum of labor.

Other objects are to provide a swiveled electrical connector which is comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, .of light weight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in longitudinal section through the device;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the device with the housing omitted;

FIGURE 4 is a view in transverse section, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a view in longitudinal section through the embodiment of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment with the housing omitted; and

FIGURE 8 is a detail view in perspective illustrating an optional element.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and to FIG- URES l to 4, inclusive, thereof in particular, it will be seen that reference numeral 10 generally designates a male electrical plug on one end of a conductor cord 12. The plug or connector 10 includes a generally cylindrical housing 14 of suitable insulating material, said housing comprising male and female sections 16 and 18, respectively, which are detachably connected by a slip joint 28. The housing section 16 includes a generally conical end portion 22 having therein an opening 24 which receives the cord 12.

Secured by a screw 26 in the housing section 16 is a generally cylindrical member 28 of suitable insulating material. Extending centrally through the member 28 is a bore 30 having fixedly mounted therein a socket member 32 of suitable metal. The member 28 is further provided with a longitudinal groove or channel 34 having a resilient angular contact finger 36 secured therein by a screw 38. An opening 40 in the socket or sleeve 32 provides clearance for the screw 38. As shown to advantage in FIG URE 2 of the drawing, the element 38 also functions as a terminal screw for electrically connecting one of the wires 42 of the cord 12 to the contact 36. The member 2-8 still further includes a flat 44 on which the other wire 46 of the cord 12 is secured by a terminal screw 48 which, it will be noted, is threaded through the socket or sleeve 32.

Secured by a screw 50 in the housing section 18 is a generally cylindrical body 52 of suitable insulating material. The body 52 has extending centrally therethrough a bore 54 which receives a headed coupling pin or the like 56 for swivelly connecting said body to the member 28. The headed end 58 of the pin 56 is mounted in the socket or sleeve 32 and said pin extends through an opening 60 which is provided therefor in the closed inner end 62 of said socket or sleeve.

Extending into the end of the pin 56 which is remote from the head 58 is a threaded bore or socket 64. The bore 64 receives a screw 66 which secures a prong 68 on the body 52 in contact with the pin 56. The forward end of the body 52 is provided with a groove or channel 70 which communicates with the bore 54 and which, further, receives an angularly bent inner end portion 72 of the prong 68 which end portion is, of course, :apertured to accommodate the screw 66.

Mounted on the inner end portion of the body 52 is a contact ring 74. Aflixed at one end portion to the ring 74 on the interior thereof is a forwardly projecting tongue or finger 76 which is received in the longitudinal groove or channel 78 which is provided therefor in the periphery of the body 52. Also mounted in the groove or channel 78, beneath the tongue or finger 76, is one end portion of a prong 88. A screw 82 secures the elements 76 and in the groove 78. The construction and arrangement is such that the contact 36 is tensioned with the free end portion thereof riding on the ring 7 4. Longitudinal grooves or channels 84 and 8-6 in the housing sections 16 and 18, respectively, provide ample clearance for the heads of the screws 38 and 82. The prongs 68 and 80 pass through openings 88 in the closed end 90 of the housing section 18 It is thought that the use or operation of the connector will be readily apparent from :a consideration of the foregoing. Of course, the prongs 68 and 88 are insertable in the usual receptacle or female plug. Should twisting of the cord 12 occur, the half of the connect-or mounted thereon is free to rotate .or swivel on the other half of said connector, the pin 56 permitting free relative rotary movement between the members 28 and 52. As relative rotation between the two halves of the connector occurs, the resilient brush or contact 36 rides around the periphery of the ring 74. Access to the interior of the device may readily be had by removing either or both of the screws 26 or 50. In the embodiment shown, the members 28 and 52 are spaced from the housing sections 1 6 and 18 by flats 92 (see FIGURE 4).

In FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 of the drawing, reference numeral 96 generally designates a swivel connector incorporated in a conductor cord or cable 98 at an intermediate point. The connector 96 includes a housing 98 of suitable insulating material, said housing comprising two half-sections 100 which are detachably and relatively rotatably connected by a slip joint 102. The housing sections 10!) include substantially conical outer end portions 104 having openings 106 therein which receive the adjacent end portions of the cord 108. In this embodiment one of the wires 110 of one end portion of the cord 108 is electrically connected by the screw 66 to the swivel pin 56. Then, the other wire 112 .of this end portion of the cord 108 is electrically connected to the element 76 on the contact ring 74.

It will be noted that to convert from the plug or terminal connector of FIGURE 1 to the intermediate connector of FIGURE 5 it is but necessary to remove the prongs 68 and 80 and substitute the housing section 98 for the section 18. In FIGURE 8 of the drawing, reference n 1- meral 114 generally designates a substantially cylindrical body which may be substituted for the body 52. The body 114 comprises a fiat or plane forward or outer end 116. In other respects the members 52 and 114 are substantially similar.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A swiveled electrical connector comprising two coaxial, generally cylindrical, contact carrying members of relatively rigid insulating material formed with interabutting, rotatably slidable, radially extending, inner end surfaces; a first electrical interconnection between said members comprising an annular contact element of conductive material encircling a first of said members and having means for fastening it to said first member and for connecting a wire to said contact element, and a resilient, axially extending contact finger of conductive material having means for connecting an electrical conductor thereto and for holding one end of said finger firmly upon the exterior of a second of said members with said fingers other end in sliding, electrical engagement with a radially outer surface of said annular contact element; and a second electrical interconnection between said members comprising a conductive sleeve fixed within a coaxial bore in one of said members, said sleeve having means for connecting an electrical conductor thereto and being formed with a radially inwardly extending annular flange adjacent to said inter-abutting end surfaces, a headed coupling pin disposed within a coaxial bore in the other of said members with its head within said sleeve in abutting engagement with said annular flange, and a headed screw threadedly secured coaxially to said coupling pin at the latters end distal from its said head; said headed screw constituting means for fixedly connecting an electrical conductor to said coupling pin and its head coacting with an outer, end surface of said other of said members to hold the head of the coupling pin in sliding rotative electrical contact with said annular flange and to hold the two contact carrying members rotatably slidably in their mentioned inter-abutting engagement.

2. A connector according to claim 1, further including two housing sections disposed in end-to-end, rotary, sliding, abutting engagement and enclosing said contact carrying members, said housing sections being separately fixed to said members and adapted to swivel therewith.

3. A connector according to claim 1, said annular contact element being disposed adjacent to said inter-abutting end surfaces.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,404,098 1/1922 Dennis. 1,407,937 2/ 1922 Fitzgerald 339-2 2,231,366 2/ 1941 Mehr. 2,3 87,015 10/1945 Gilbertson.

FOREIGN PATENTS 257,852 4/ 1949 Switzerland.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED S. TRASK, Examiner. 

1. A SWIVELED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPRISING TWO COAXIAL, GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL, CONTACT CARRYING MEMBERS OF RELATIVELY RIGID INSULATING MATERIAL FORMED WITH INTERABUTTING, ROTATABLY SLIDABLE, RADIALLY EXTENDING, INNER END SURFACES; A FIRST ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS COMPRISING AN ANNULAR CONTACT ELEMENT OF CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL ENCIRCLING A FIRST OF SAID MEMBERS AND HAVING MEANS FOR FASTENING IT TO SAID FIRST MEMBER AND FOR CONNECTING A WIRE TO SAID CONTACT ELEMENT, AND A BORE IN THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS WITH ITS HEAD WITHIN RESILIENT, AXIALLY EXTENDING CONTACT FINGER OF CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL HAVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR THERETO AND FOR HOLDING ONE END OF SAID FINGER FIRMLY UPON THE EXTERIOR OF A SECOND OF SAID MEMBERS WITH SAID FINGERS OTHER END IN SLIDING, ELECTRICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH A RADIALLY OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ANNULAR CONTACT ELEMENT; AND A SECOND ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS COMPRISING A CONDUCTIVE SLEEVE FIXED WITHIN A COAXIAL BORE IN ONE OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID SLEEVE HAVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR THERETO AND BEING FORMED WITH A RADIALLY INWARDLY EX- 